Religion briefs: Sept. 30, 2017

Saint Joseph Catholic Community presented its new Parish Pastoral Plan for 2017-20 on Sept. 23 and Sept. 24.

Saint Joseph Catholic Community presented its new Parish Pastoral Plan for 2017-20 on Sept. 23 and Sept. 24. (Courtesy Photo)

Saint Joseph unveils new Parish Pastoral Plan

Saint Joseph Catholic Community, SJCC, presented its new Parish Pastoral Plan for 2017-2020 at all services on Sunday, Sept. 23-24. The plan is the work of Saint Joseph’s lay leadership, staff and a town hall meeting of January 2017. Archbishop Lori’s letters, Be Missionary Disciples and A Light Brightly Visible, have provided a new direction for the church of Baltimore to make parishes more vital and more vibrant. SJCC Parish Pastoral Plan is founded on these principles.

Of the six core mission priorities that the Archbishop proposed, Saint Joseph will emphasize three in the coming years: Encounter, Accompaniment and Liturgy. All are encouraged to read the plan, to pray for the plan’s success and to discern which objectives of the plan they can help with. All attending were invited to give of their time and talent.

Father Neville O’Donohue, S.M., pastor said: “It is a true joy for me to be launching our Parish Pastoral Plan to make St. Joseph a community of missionary disciples.”

The Eldersburg/Sykesville community is invited to visit and take part in the many programs offered at SJCC. For more information visit: www.saintjoseph.cc.

Keysville Lutheran’s annual yard sale, Oct. 7

Keysville Evangelical Lutheran Church will be having their annual large indoor Yard Sale on Oct. 7, doors opening at 8 a.m. There will be multiple rooms of women's and men's clothes, household items, children's clothing and toys, books, holiday decorations, and tools. Kitchen will also be open for food sales. $1.00 a bag begins at 1pm.

Keysville Evangelical Lutheran Church is located at 7301 Keysville Road, Keymar. For more information, please email klckeymar@gmail.com or call the church at 410-756-6064.

Springfield Presbyterian to hold free concert

Springfield Presbyterian Church is excited to present the Wiswakarma family in our next free concert on Sunday, October 8, 2017. This local family shares a talent for and love of music that is wonderful to see and experience.

All are invited to them for an afternoon of music beginning at 3 p.m. in the sanctuary at 7300 Spout Hill Road in Sykesville. There is no ticket to buy, but they will take a freewill offering to support the concert series. Refreshments will be served following the concert. If you have any questions, please call Linda Caviglia at 410-746-1221.

Prayer service at St. Paul’s UMC set for Oct. 10

On Tuesday, Oct. 10, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Sykesville will host a Community Prayer Service to lift up in prayer those in our community who are struggling with addiction.

Tim Weber, the Carroll County State's Attorney’s Office’s drug education and treatment liaison, will be the featured speaker, and Jeremy Simons will also give personal testimony. In addition to the testimonies, the service will feature music, communion, and open prayer. Representatives from local addiction services organizations will be available in the church Social Hall to provide additional information on programs for local residents battling or touched by addiction. All are welcome at this event.

For more information, call 410-795-0714. St. Paul’s is at 7538 Main St., Sykesville, on the corner of Main and Church streets.

St. John hosting a Blue Mass on Oct. 14

St. John Roman Catholic Church in Westminster is hosting a Blue Mass on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 4:30 p.m.

This mass will honor fire, police, first-responders, sheriff’s office deputies and state troopers. We invite all to attend and be honored. We are asking that those who serve wear their uniform and come with their families. A reception dinner will be held afterwards.

For more information or to reserve honoree seating, call St. John Parish Center at 410-848-4744.

Ebenezer church seeks Holly Mart vendors

Ebenezer United Methodist Church is seeking vendors for its annual Holly Mart, to be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 11. Vendors are wanted to offer Christmas, autumn/winter decorations, gifts and crafts; jewelry and accessories; home decor items; unique crafts; and direct sales/home-based business products, such as Tupperware and other household/decorative items.

There is a $10 reservation fee, and a 10 percent donation of vendor sales is requested for the church. Holly Mart is Ebenezer UMC’s largest fundraiser of the year and draws several hundred visitors. Deadline for space is Nov. 1. Interested vendors should contact Susan Brown, crafts/vendor chairperson, at 410-442-2884 or stmpnsusan@aol.com about a space at Holly Mart.

Grace Bible Church seeks Community Craft Show vendors

Grace Bible Church of North Carroll is seeking vendors for its first annual Community Craft Show, to be held on Saturday December 2nd from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will take place in their recently renovated multi-purpose room.

Vendors are wanted for Christmas decoration and gift crafts and for home-based business products. The fee is $25 for each 8-foot table. The church is located at 3250 Charmil Drive, Manchester. A vendor application and policy are available at gbcnc.com. For more information, call the church office at 410-374-9306 or email office@gbcnc.com. The deadline for tables is November 15.

The Carroll County Times regularly publishes Religion Briefs about news from local places of worship, from new clergy to guest speakers to special services and classes. Photos are published as space allows and must be sent as JPG attachments, with caption information included. Items must be received no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday to be considered for that Saturday’s edition. Submit information to bob.blubaugh@carrollcountytimes.com or mail to 115 Airport Drive, Suite 170, Westminster, MD 21157. Our website, www.carrollcountytimes.com, features a listing of local places of worship and their regular services. Community-oriented events are published Sundays in our Carroll Planner. For more information, call 410-857-7891.

As a free service, the Carroll County Times regularly publishes photos from local places of worship in the Saturday print edition and now online in this photo gallery. Photos must be sent as JPG attachments, with caption information included. Items must be received no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday to be considered for that Saturday’s print edition. Submit information to news editor Bob Blubaugh at bob.blubaugh@carrollcountytimes.com or mail to 115 Airport Drive, Suite 170, Westminster, MD 21157.